Poll: US firms fairly concerned about anti-Americanism

November 28, 2005
by Hamilton Nolan

NEW YORK: A survey released last week by Business for Diplomatic Action (BDA), a group dedicated to building the US' image abroad, found that corporate leaders are fairly concerned about the impact of anti-Americanism on their companies.

NEW YORK: A survey released last week by Business for Diplomatic Action (BDA), a group dedicated to building the US' image abroad, found that corporate leaders are fairly concerned about the impact of anti-Americanism on their companies.

The survey of about 50 US "corporate leaders and top thought leaders" found that respondents ranked the threat of bad international reputation between three and four, on a five-point scale.

BDA noted in a commentary, though, that it was surprised at the lack of consensus about the impact of the problem.

"A few CEOs saw anti-Americanism as a threat to growth, many were unsure of the threat, and some have ignored the issue completely," the commentary pointed out.

The survey also found that while virtually all companies seek to build goodwill in international markets through CSR programs, their impact is diluted because they are often not localized or are not designed specifically to combat anti-American sentiment.